We are madly in love with this body positive comic book superhero
As much as love the world of superheroes, unfortunately we don’t see nearly enough female vigilantes, and what superheroines there are often both over-sexualized and relegated to the sidelines. There’s also a noticeable lack of diversity amongst the superheroines that do exist; the vast majority of women who fight crime in comic books are both thin and white. That’s why we’ve been so excited about inclusivity role model Kamala Khan, the latest incarnation of Ms. Marvel, and that’s why we’re getting excited all over again about Faith, the spinoff of Valiant Comics Harbringer, which will feature a full-figured fangirl superhero as its eponymous leading lady.
In a statement from Valiant, the publisher explains how Faith’s arc will play out over the course of the four-issue spinoff.
Valiant Editor-in-Chief Warren Simons could not be more excited about this character getting her own comic book.
“Faith is one of the most unique characters in comics – a sci-fi loving, Firefly-quoting fangirl that wound up standing shoulder-to-shoulder alongside some of the most powerful superheroes on Earth, who, at the end of the day, might just prove herself to be the bravest of them all,” said Valiant Editor-in-Chief Warren Simons.
Jody Houser, who pens the Orphan Black comics, will be scribing Faith’s journey, and is psyched about how well this character is suited for the superhero life.
“Faith is an especially fun character for this sort of story because of how genre savvy she is,” Houser told Comic Book Resources. “She didn’t fall into the ‘classic costumed life’ by accident. She made a deliberate attempt to model her life after the heroes she grew up with, not because that’s just how it’s done, but because she understands the benefit of having a normal life on the side. Wanting to do great things doesn’t mean she wants to be in the spotlight 24/7.”
Houser also couldn’t be more excited about giving the full-figured, sex-positive, super heroine her own story.
“I think comic fans always enjoy seeing a fellow geek stepping into the role of the hero, but beyond that, Faith’s confidence and optimism is something that makes her stand out to me,” Houser explained later in the same interview. “She’s a plus-size woman who loves sci-fi and fantasy and enjoys sex, and is 100% comfortable with that. She has a very clear idea of what a hero should be, and is perfectly fine stepping away from people whose actions run counter to that.”
The first installment of the miniseries debuts in January 2016 and we absolutely cannot wait!
Related:
Marvel is standing behind their controversial female superheroes
We’re all about Marvel’s new female-driven comic
(Images via Valiant.)
